The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

Yet another absurd yet indicative irregularity in the seemingly unending barrage of infringements raising serious concerns over the trial of four men accused of the Dnipropetrovsk bomb blasts in April 2012.

A witness who the prosecution alleges sold the SIM-card used to demand a ransom in calls to the SBU [Security Service] was effectively asked to choose who he sold it to: one of the men accused of the crime, Viktor Sukachev or the well-known American actor Jim Carrey.

During questioning in court on 27 August the witness said that Sukachev was similar to the person who bought the SIM-card, but that he couldn’t be sure. He had pointed to two things that stuck in his mind – that the person was tall and had signs of balding. During the identification process the witness was shown only two photos where the men showed signs of balding: the photos of the accused, Viktor Sukachev and of Jim Carrey. The result of the identification process was thus ensured, and rendered meaningless.

Four men are on trial: two – Viktor Sukachev and Vitaly Fedoryak – are accused of organizing these and other bomb blasts (including, as already reported, one which may not have taken place) and actually planting the bombs. Dmytro Reva and Lev Prosvirnin are alleged to have been “accomplices”.

The charges against Dmytro Reva are especially dubious and have been criticized by top criminal law specialist Mykola Khavronyuk as lacking any elements of a crime.

Reva’s lawyer, Vitaly Pogosyan writes that of the witnesses called by the prosecution there are none who really know anything about the case. Most are either passing on what they heard from somebody, or able to say only what they saw after the bombs exploded.

The irregularities in this case are mounting. See the following:

Curiouser and curiouser - How well-known TV journalist Artem Shevchenko was informed before receiving it from the SBU that he would be receiving an email from the alleged terrorists asking him to be a go-between between them and the SBU.

Reva Trial: The Court really doesn’t want to know The court has, on the other hand, rejected applications from the defence to call in witnesses, including one person who received text messages from Sukachev on the afternoon of the bombs – asking if everybody was OK. This is clearly crucial evidence since Dmytro Reva received such a text message which the prosecution is claiming somehow implicates him in the crime.